Worried about catching the cold or flu this year—or helping to keep the germs of one sick family member from infecting others in your house? Beyond hand washing and self-imposed quarantine, some time spent cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing high-traffic areas can ensure your home sweet home stays healthy, too. But what you think you know about killing germs—and what actually works—may surprise you. Though the terms are used interchangeably, cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing are three completely different things. Some household products can perform double or triple duty. In some cases and on some surfaces, cleaning alone is enough to prevent illness; but disinfecting and sanitizing act like an insurance policy to further rid your home of germs. Here's what the three terms really mean:
Read the labels on your cleaning products carefully to learn which functions they can perform and how to properly use them. For example, aerosol spray disinfectants can't clean, but some can sanitize. Disinfecting wipes are designed to clean, sanitize and disinfect--but only if you use an adequate amount and allow the product to dry on the surface for a specific amount of time. Follow package instructions to ensure the outcome you intend is actually achieved. Due to the relative fragility of viruses outside the human body, standard cleaning and disinfecting routines are sufficient; there's no need to scrub every surface from floor to ceiling or aggressively use spray disinfectants to kill these common germs. In fact, overuse of any harsh chemicals--especially those in aerosol cans--can irritate eyes, noses and throats already sensitive from a cold or the flu, and they can aggravate asthma or cause breathing problems. Limit aerosol sprays to tight spaces where other disinfectants wouldn't be a feasible option; always use in a well-ventilated area. What about Antibacterial Products? Because antibiotics can't kill the viruses that cause cold and flu, that also means the antibacterial ingredients in soaps, cleansers and wipes will not kill those viruses, either, though the simple act of cleaning does help reduce their numbers. Since 2002, the American Medical Association has discouraged the use of consumer antimicrobial products (including soaps) due to the widespread risk of antibiotic resistance. In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee ruled that there is a lack of evidence supporting the superiority of antibacterial products over regular cleaning products. What about Natural Cleaning and Disinfecting Methods? While natural ingredients, such as peroxide, vinegar, salt, baking soda and lemon juice, can clean surfaces effectively, most have not been proven to kill the germs that cause the flu and colds.
During cold and flu season, it can feel like you're always on the defensive, fighting an invisible but all-encompassing enemy. There's good news: You're stronger and smarter than the germs you're battling. Here are some tips to help you minimize your time spent on housework while still keeping everyone healthy:
These tweaks to your housekeeping routine will help keep your home healthy, and if someone does fall ill, help stop the spread of germs before they infect someone else. Remember: When in doubt, wash your hands and sleep on the couch! Sources Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Antibiotic Resistance Questions & Answers," www.cdc.gov, accessed on August 22, 2013. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Seasonal Influenza," www.cdc.gov, accessed on August 22, 2013. C. F. Carson, K. A. Hammer, T. V. Riley. "Melaleuca alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil: a Review of Antimicrobial and Other Medicinal Properties." Clinical Microbiology Reviews. 2006 January; 19(1): 50–62. Greatorex JS, Page RF, Curran MD, Digard P, Enstone JE, et al. (2010) "Effectiveness of Common Household Cleaning Agents in Reducing the Viability of Human Influenza A/H1N1." PLoS ONE 5(2): e8987. Selvarani Vimalanathan and James Hudson. "Anti-Influenza Virus Activities of Commercial Oregano Oils and their Carriers, Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science." Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science. 02 (07); 2012: 214-218. The Ohio State University, "Food Safety Fact Sheet," foodsafety.osu.edu, accessed on August 22, 2013. Rhoades J, Gialagkolidou K, Gogou M, Mavridou O, Blatsiotis N, Ritzoulis C, Likotrafiti E. "Oregano essential oil as an antimicrobial additive to detergent for hand washing and food contact surface cleaning." Journal of Applied Microbiology. 2013 Jul 12. |
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Member Comments
ant/sanitizer items together. Read labels - when they say “don’t mix chlorine bleach with ammonia (or XYZ)” - don’t mix them! You release chlorine gas! Report
Some food for thought: some cleaners can ruin the surface it cleans. Ex do not use vinegar on granite counter tops--it eats away and will ruin them over time.
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tizing hysteria. And you know what? I am NEVER sick! People are WAY too worried about germs. Report
TERRIFIC article !
Even we over-60s can learn new stuff.
I had no idea that disinfecting and sanitizing are NOT the same thing.
THANKS for enlighting us Report
Growing up we didn't have the stuff available, but good old hand washing often. We had 8 kids in the family, but since my Mom had taught to do this, and we kept a clean home (the phone was cleaned by 3 of us daily as we used it, I was on it a lot so it did get cleaned). As we were growing up 8 kids,,, ickies happen QUICKLY (not just germs,, food, other ickies ) so Mom also taught us to clean ALL surfaces our ittle grubby hands, fingers touched. When any of us were sick, this done on a step it up basis. It was so very rare any of us were out of school.
My GD has seen ALL this stuff about "Germs" and how they are ALL BAD (they aren't, but she didn't get that from the ads ) and she has become a "germocholic" which saddens me much.
Of course this was many years ago when most Moms were in the home (But mine was not, often doing 2 or 3 jobs when she was a single parent,,, 5 of us are her and Dads natural children,,, the other 3 were relatives with no acting parents.
It's also just MY experience living among healthy children (THANKFULLY!) and life in general was much easier. This is NOT to say others experiences I wouldn't value, for I DO all everyone's. Report